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Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Alexander Payne Hits the Road Again

This Friday, ALEXANDER PAYNE releases his fourth consecutive road movie. Does that make him King of the Road?

Here's his cinematic itinerary:

ABOUT SCHMIDT (2002): Newly retired and widowed protagonist Jack Nicholson travels from Omaha to Denver in a Winnebago in an attempt to stop his daughter’s wedding.

SIDEWAYS (2004): Paul Giamatti and Thomas Hayden Church are former college buddies who drive from San Diego to Santa Ynez on a final wine-tasting adventure before one of them has to tie the knot.

THE DESCENDANTS (2011): George Clooney stars as a haole lawyer who goes island hopping with his teenage daughter (Shailene Woodley) on a wild goose chase to track down and bring his dying wife’s lover back to Oahu before her funeral.

The black-and-white film is quickly gaining Oscar buzz. All three of Payne’s previous road trips earned nominations for their travelers (Nicholson, Kathy Bates, Church, Virginia Madsen, and Clooney) and the last two both won Best Adapted Screenplay trophies. Dern, 77, was previously nominated 35 years ago for Coming Home.

Thinking of sending your protagonist on a holoholo? Read the scene-by-scene analysis of Payne's second Oscar-winning script for valuable screenwriting tips.